Accountable government

COMBATTING MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION

our work

Mis-, dis- and malinformation are increasingly undermining public trust, distorting informed debate, and creating cover for corruption. This is an urgent, global problem that makes it harder to hold power to account and threatens the integrity of our democratic institutions.

Australia currently has no federal laws requiring truth in political advertising. This creates a serious vulnerability in our electoral system—allowing misleading claims to go unchecked and undermining public confidence in democratic outcomes.

Australians deserve better. The vast majority support stronger safeguards to ensure truth in political campaigning and are rightly concerned about the impact of misinformation on public life.

To strengthen integrity and trust in democracy, we must confront misinformation—and ensure our laws reflect the public’s expectations for honesty and accountability in politics.

Truth in political advertising

We need to enact federal truth in political advertising laws to stop blatant lies being used to skew elections, and ensure politicians are held accountable for deceptive campaigns.

Blatant lies in political advertising erode trust in our democracy and weaken accountability. Yet in Australia, it remains entirely legal to lie in a political ad.

Transparency International Australia supports the introduction of truth in political advertising laws—through the introduction of new legislation and through current voluntary code including the Ethical Political Advertising Code (EPAC)—to bring honesty, fairness, and accountability into our elections.

Australians rightly expect political advertising to meet the same standards as other industries, and there is overwhelming support for clear and checked restrictions in political advertising.

See the voluntary EPAC